Sep 2, 2008 4:27 pm US/Eastern
Mass. Farmers Expect Strong Apple Harvest
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
If every cloud has a silver lining, then all the rain and heat we had this summer are bearing gold and red fruit in a big way.
The Bay State's apple crop is shaping up to be one of the best just as the picking season begins.
"I would have to say, probably, fantastic," described Gerard Beirne, owner of Berlin Orchards.
"It has the prospect of becoming one of the best crops ever?" asked Sanders.
"For me? Yes. Yes. Absolutely," Beirne said.
Some of Gerard's first pick-your-own customers of the season also saw a difference.
"Large apples this year. Really good size apples," says Mary Beth Meyer of Easton, who went to the orchard with her daughter, Maureen, along with cousins Chris and Will Bertram to do some picking.
"This is an exciting year for the state's apple industry," says its director of Agricultural Development, Mary Jordan.
It's expecting to harvest a million bushels of apples that will reap $12 million to $15 million for the economy, ranking the Massachusetts crop 12th in the nation.
"This will be good, economically, for you?" Sanders asked Beirne.
"I hope so. I hope so," Beirne said.
The picking season is young with tropical storms on the horizon but abundant, alternating rain and sunshine throughout the summer have helped "size up" the apples, as Gerard puts it.
"We can walk down here between a row of Matsus and Cortlands on the other side," he said, guiding Sanders to a few choice samples.
"These are the Matsu. They are normally pretty good size. You know, most of them this year are probably going to end up around four inches, which is a huge apple and it won't take a lot to fill an apple bag."
Some McIntosh, Paula Reds and Ginger Gold apples are ready for picking right now. Sampling the fruit, you can look at the crop or say anything you want about it but the proof is really in the picking and the eating.
The State Agriculture Department says more traditional varieties of apples should be available for picking at the end of this week or early next.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments